Venice Music Project Opens 2016 Season
By: Tyler Peterson May. 05, 2016
The new season promises works of Handel, Hasse, Vivaldi and others, plus intimate performances of "A Venetian Affair," a musical re-enactment based on a cache of covert love letters between a mid-1700s Venice nobleman and the woman high society shunned but he secretly loved - all set to Baroque music performed on period-era instruments.
This year, the Venice Music Project is proud to present performances from the acclaimed ensemble Lucidarium, joining a city-wide commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Jewish Ghetto in Venice, a festival that is already attracting prestigious visitors from around the world.
"We are thrilled to again bring audiences into a world of Baroque romance, sophistication and intrigue," said Venice Music Project co-founder and resident soprano Liesl Odenweller, a renowned singer who has thrilled audiences from Venice to London to New York. "This series recreates the incredible atmosphere of the Baroque era, and through these ticket sales and contributions from our supporters, we can support the restoration of buildings from that era whose architecture echoes to us through the centuries."
The New York Times recently named Venice Music Project a top-pick for anyone with just 36 hours to travel through the city, particularly as the resident Venetia Antiqua orchestra features musicians playing on period instruments or exact recreations to reanimate the tones and atmosphere of the Baroque era. For instance, the 2016 season includes performances such as:
o Tempests and Flames, performances May 6, 8, 13 and 15.
o Vivaldi's Motets for Solo Voice and Orchestra, performances including May 20, 22, 27, and 29.
o "A Venetian Affair," the original pastiche starring author Andrea di Robilant, performances including June 3, 4, 6, 10 and 12.
o Hasse and Handel, "Rivals in Venice," June 19, 24 and 26.
o Capolavori Barocchi, performances throughout September.
o The Lucidarium ensemble, "Sounds from Shylock's Venice," October 29-30.
o A series of intimate "pop-up" Music a la Carte performances throughout Venice
The musical vision of 'A Venetian Affair,' for instance, is told against a backdrop of baroque compositions with the crystal bright soprano voice of Odenweller, who brings to life 18th century arias and love songs composed at the time the love affair was taking place. Here's a brief video clip: https://vimeo.com/106436402
The performance is narrated by the best-selling author Andrea di Robilant, whose family discovered a cache of love letters in their ancestral palazzo on the Grand Canal. The letters were written between his great-great-great-great-great grandfather and his secret lover-a romance that the pair often conducted through secret codes and signals passed along by trusted intermediaries. Here's a clip of a recent concert: https://vimeo.com/109683789
This year's musical season also pays tribute to the legacy of Jewish history in the City of Venice, which this year celebrates the 500th anniversary of its Jewish Ghetto. Though often overlooked, Venice houses one of Europe's first Jewish ghettos, and the term "ghetto" itself likely was based on the Italian word for foundry, "gheto," the name of the neighborhood.
Odenweller is particularly honored to bring this season's performances to the historic and stunning St. George's Anglican Church, situated between the Accademia Bridge and the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, home of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. In addition to the promotion and research of Baroque music, the Venice Music Project is promoting the restoration of the church and the artworks it contains to help the city remain alive for generations to come.
Comments
.png)
|
.png)
|
Videos
